


Please Stay-A Cullen Rutherford Story

by ademonicangel



Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-07
Updated: 2017-06-22
Packaged: 2018-09-15 13:20:40
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 9,167
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9236870
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ademonicangel/pseuds/ademonicangel
Summary: 19 year old Ophelia Trevelyan was sent from her home in Ostwick to aid her family in the conclave. After being recruited into the Inquisition following the explosion, she finds herself balancing the needs of the Inquisition with her own life.





	1. Chapter 1

I awoke with a throbbing headache. Everything hurt and I couldn't recognize my surroundings. I stood up slowly, my head spinning. I looked up to see a figure, maybe a woman, standing in the distance. Every instinct I had told me to run the other way, but for some reason I walked towards her.   
It was foggy, but unlike the fog I’ve seen in the Free Marches. It was tinted green. Everything in there was a disgusting moldy green. I’d never seen anything like it in my life. I avoided puddles, worried that they weren't filled with water but of some other lethal substance. There were hisses and screams in the distance, echoing all around me. My heart raced and I could feel the adrenaline rush through my body. “I’m dead,” I thought. “I’m dead and I’ll never get out of here.”  
I approached a giant staircase and began climbing it. It seemed like there were hundreds of thousands of small steps. My thighs were weak and shaky after what seemed like hours of walking. The screams and hisses suddenly got louder. I felt a shudder run down my spine. I realized that if I wasn’t already dead, I would be once the source of the noises caught up to me. The sounds were right behind me. I turned around and saw hundreds of spider-like creatures clicking their pincers and hissing at me. Fight or Flight kicked in and I ran up the stairs. The strain on my chest was almost intolerable but the only thing i could focus on was getting to the top of the incline. The spiders were faster than I was. I wasn’t going to be able to make it to the top before they got me. The woman at the top extended her hand to me in a desperate hope to eliminate some of the ground I had to cross. I lunged for her. Fire shot through my left hand. Every nerve was shooting off, the pain was the worst I’ve ever felt.  
Then it stopped. I was on my hands and knees, surrounded by rubble. I saw what I assumed were chevaliers running towards me with their swords unsheathed. There was no energy left in me. I couldn’t get onto my own feet, much less put up a fight. I gave up and collapsed onto my chest. My eyes were heavy. “Maybe if I sleep I won’t feel anything,” I thought. I closed my eyes and and slipped into unconsciousness.


	2. TWO

I slept, I’m not sure how long. I was moved from the place I was found to a dungeon of some sorts. There were guards completely encircling me, their swords pointed at me as if I was going to suddenly wake up and attack them. I would occasionally wake up to people yelling outside my cell, to the guards talking about the ways they wanted to kill me, to some elf staring at my hand. I was never consciousness for more than a few minutes at a time, but when I was, I tried desperately to remember what happened to me. I only remembered broken up sections. The fog, the spiders, the woman.   
I snapped into consciousness. My hand was glowing green and electricity was running through my veins. I couldn’t scream, I could only stare at my hand in shock and fear. What was going on? Where was I? Was my family okay? The pain subsided and I prepared myself to drift back asleep, but I felt wide awake. I looked around at the guards, who seemed just as surprised as I did that I wasn't collapsing onto the floor. One whispered something to the another, who laughed and readjusted his grip on the sword. I shuddered. Everyone in this room wants me dead and I don’t even know why.  
My hand started glowing again and the pain moved up and down my arm. I gasped in pain, finally able to make a sound. I stared at my hand, unable to comprehend why I was glowing. All I knew was that it hurt. A lot.  
The door to my cell and two women walked in. The first one signaled the guards to sheath their swords. She was tall, thin, and dressed in battle armor. Her hair was cut short and she had a long scar running across her jaw bone. The second one followed behind her. Her features were kinder and more rounded. She wore a loosely fitted dress with a scarf draped around her head.   
The first woman began circling me, as if she was a buzzard honing in on her prey. “Tell me why we shouldn’t kill you now?” She leaned over my shoulder from behind me. “The Conclave is destroyed. Everyone who attended is dead!” She moved to my front and narrowed her eyes at me. “Except for you.”  
My heart froze. This wasn’t happening. The Divine was there, she couldn’t be dead as well! This was the one chance to unite the warring mages and Templars. Maker’s breath. How did this happen?  
The two women gave me pointed looks. It became clear what they were thinking.  
“You think I’m responsible?” I asked.  
The first woman lunged for my hand and held it up. “Explain this,” she growled. Her Nevarran accent thick with rage. The sensation started up again, and the woman threw my hand back down.  
I desperately tried to remember what happened. My mind was blank, I had nothing to say. I barely managed to stammer out, “I-I can’t!”  
The woman sneered. “What do you mean you can’t?”  
“I don’t know what that is or how it got there-”  
The woman grabbed me shoulder and brought her face inches from mine. “You’re lying!” She growled.  
The second woman stepped in and pulled the first one off of me. “We need her, Cassandra.” She turned to me. “Who are you, where are you from.”  
“Ophelia Trevelyan. I’m only 19. I’m from Ostwick in the Free Marches. If it’s money you want my family is nobility, you can have all you want-”  
“We don’t want your money,” The second woman said. “Do you remember what happened. How this began?”  
The question of the hour. I spat out what little I could remember. “I remember running…. Things were chasing me…. and a woman?”  
The second one raised her eyebrows. “A woman?” She repeated.  
I nodded slowly, still unsure of what happened. “She reached out to me…and then…” My mind was blank. I couldn’t remember what happened between the woman and being found.  
The first woman, Cassandra, turned to the second. “Go to the forward camp, Leliana. I will take her to the rift.”  
“What did happen?” I asked Cassandra who was busy unchaining me from the floor.  
She sighed and looked up at me, letting the last chain clatter to the floor. “It will be easier to show you. Cassandra hoisted me up and pulled me out of the cell.  
The sunlight reflecting off the snow blinded me instantly. I shielded my eyes until they slowly became adjusted to light outside of the dark cell. I looked up and saw a massive, green, cyclone-like shape in the sky. It was swirling up into the clouds, occasionally shooting fragments away from it. My hand lit on fire once again. I dropped to my knees and cried out in pain. My hand usually hurt but it was nothing like this. Once I regained control and stood up again, Cassandra started speaking.  
“We call it the Breach. It’s a massive rift into the world of demons that grows larger with each passing hour. It’s not the only such rift, just the largest. All caused by the explosion at the Conclave.”  
“An explosion can cause that?” I asked. It seemed unlikely that an explosion can make Thedas vulnerable to demons.  
“This one did,” Cassandra grimly answered. “Unless we act, the Breach may grow until it swallows the world.” She motioned to my hand. “Each time the Breach expands, your Mark spreads… and it is killing you. It may be the key to stopping this, but there isn’t much time.”  
“Do you really think I did this? To myself?”  
“Not intentionally. Something clearly went wrong.” She shook her head.  
“What if I’m not responsible?”  
“Someone is, and you are our only suspect.”  
As far as I know, I could be responsible for all of the deaths that occurred at the Conclave. I shook my head. No, I wouldn’t have done this. I would never slaughter so many people. I would never stand in the way of peace. I sighed. I could never hold any ground in a trial either. The only way to prove my innocence was to help these people.  
“I understand,” I sighed out. “I’ll do what I can to help, whatever it takes.”  
Cassandra simply nodded before pulling me up by my collar and marching me through the settlement. “The people of Haven have decided you guilty. They need to cope. They are mourning the loss of our most beloved Divine Justinia. It was her Conclave. She wanted to restore peace within the Chantry between the Templars and the mages,” she said in regards to all the hateful stares I was receiving.   
“I didn’t do it,” I muttered, knowing nothing would change.  
We approached the gates of Haven. Cassandra cut the ropes binding my hands together with a knife. “There will be a trial. I can promise you no more,” she told me. “Until then, we need to test your Mark on something smaller than the Breach. Come.”  
I had no idea what she meant by test, but I was desperate to clear my name. I followed her begging the Maker to walk with me.


	3. THREE

“Open the Gates!” Cassandra shouted at the guards protecting the entrance to Haven. “We’re going to the Valley!” I had no idea what or where the Valley was, but I was sure it wasn’t going to be safe.  
Cassandra had me run ahead of her. She was too afraid of me getting out of her sight and running away. I ran blindly, my only sense of direction came from Cassandra’s occasional shouts of “Right!” “Keep Going!” “No, the other way!” It was horribly obnoxious. My lungs hurt from the cold air rushing in and out. My feet ached with each step; my thin shoes were not nearly enough protection from the pebbles blanketing the icy path. My eyes watered with the wind blowing all around.   
“Are we almost there?” I yelled, hoping Cassandra could hear me over the roaring wind.  
“Just shut up and keep going,” came here response.  
Lovely.  
I occasionally looked up at the Breach in the sky. Cassandra was right, the damn thing grew. Fast. Just as we began to round a corner, the Breach rippled, sending demons out of it. Simultaneously, my hand pained me again. I dropped to my knees and clutched it, hoping to squeeze the pain out. Once it subsided, Cassandra helped me to my feet.  
“The pulses are coming faster now. We need to hurry.”  
I could only nod in agreement, the combination of the cold and pain rendered me speechless. We took off again.  
There was a bridge up ahead. I hoped that this was our destination and that the Valley, whatever it was, lay just behind the doors. With a final burst of energy, I sprinted towards the bridge.  
We had barely made it half way when the Breach sent something barreling towards us. The bridge crumbled upon impact, sending me and Cassandra tumbling down.  
A black, bubbling pool of sludge with green lights emitting from it began forming a few feet away from me and Cassandra.  
“Demons!” Cassandra gasped. “Stay behind me!”  
I willingly obliged, considering I had nothing to defend myself with, and watched as Cassandra charged the spirit, sword in one hand, shield in the other. She attacked the creature with such ferocity, tearing into it ruthlessly. I almost didn’t notice another demon begin to spawn in front of me. Panic took over my body. Cassandra couldn’t take on two demons, so what was to become of me. I wildly looked around, hoping to find a stick or a box to defend myself with, but I found the next best thing. To my left were two daggers, perfect for dual wielding. I grabbed them and prepared myself for the oncoming storm.  
The demon stood towering over me; it’s hissing and screeching sending shivers down my spine. I adjusted my grip on my weapons and charged.  
After rolling out of the way of its monstrous claws I managed to get a few slices on the legs of the creature. We continued this tango for some time. The spirit would attack, I would throw myself out of the way, I would strike. Hardly any damage was being dealt, but I hoped that it would buy me enough time for Cassandra to see me and come to my rescue.   
My thoughts came to an abrupt stop when I tripped over a rock and fell over backwards. The demon charged me almost cackling with victory. Then suddenly, it stopped. A blade came through its chest and was pulled back out. The shade faded away, and I saw Cassandra standing there covered in blood. Almost as soon as I got back onto my feet, she put the tip of her sword at the base of my neck.  
“Drop your weapon,” she seethed, her voice icy with anger.  
I widened my eyes. “Are you serious? A demon attacked me? Was I supposed to play the damsel in distress and wait for you to save me?” I scoffed.  
“I don’t see any demons now.”  
“So you can promise this will never happen again?”  
We locked eyes for a few moments, neither one of us wanting to admit defeat. Eventually, Cassandra sighed and sheathed her sword.   
“You are right. I cannot protect you, and I cannot expect you to be defenseless.”  
I swelled with pride in the face of victory.   
“I will make note that you did not attempt to run.”  
My hope that we were at the Valley was in partially in vain. Cassandra ordered me to continue forward; however, we were almost to our final destination.   
The trek itself wouldn’t have been bad except for the fact that there were demons around every corner. Cassandra and I made one hell of a team. No demon that crossed our paths survived.  
“You can hear the fighting!” Cassandra yelled as the sounds of scraping swords grew louder. “We have to help them!”  
We sheathed our weapons and ran towards the sounds. When we arrived we saw an archer, two warriors and a mage battling demons that were falling out of the rift near them. Cassandra and I nodded at each other and ran towards the battle. With all of us attacking, the demons stood no chance and fell almost instantly.   
“Quickly! Before more come through!” The elven mage shouted at me and ran towards me. He grabbed my Mark-infected hand and thrusted it towards the rift. A beam of green light shot out of my palm and into the center of the rift. Instead of the usual pain that came with every activation of the Mark, it was an odd, tingly sensation. Much like when a limb falls asleep. The rift swallowed itself and an eerie silence fell around us.  
“What did you do?” I asked the mage.  
“I did nothing. The credit is yours.”  
“You mean, this?” I motioned to the Mark.   
“Whatever opened that Breach in the sky also left a Mark on your hand. I theorized that the Mark may be able to close the rifts and eventually the Breach. It seems I was correct.”  
“Good to know,” a surly voice chimed in from behind me. “And here I thought we would be ass-deep in demons forever.”  
I turned to face a dwarf with strawberry blond hair pulled back into a ponytail with an ample amount of chest hair on display.  
“Varric Tethras,” he introduced himself. “Rogue, storyteller, and occasionally, unwelcome companion.” He winked at Cassandra who shot back the meanest glare I had ever seen.  
“My name is Solas if there are to be introductions. I am please to see you lived.” The elf smiled at me.  
“He means, ‘I kept that mark from killing you while you slept,’” Varric “translated” for me.  
“You seem to know a lot about the mark, Solas.” I commented.  
“My travels have allowed me to learn a great deal about the fade, much more than any circle mage could.” He shot a nasty look at Cassandra. “I came to offer whatever help I can give with the Breach. If it is not closed, we are all doomed. Regardless of origin.”  
“Happy thought,” I quipped.  
“Come now,” Cassandra cut social hour short. “We must get to the forward camp quickly. I hope Leliana made it through all of this.”  
So Cassandra, Solas, Varric and I set off to find this Forward Camp, wherever that was. There were plenty of demons attacking the party that were slaughtered instantly.   
“You’re not bad with daggers.” Varric wiped blood off of his face. “Where’d you learn to do that?”  
“I hung out in the weaponry back home.”  
Varric shook his head. “Just like any normal kid.”  
My hand still fired whenever the breach expanded, but the pain lessened. It constantly had the buzzing sensation in it, but only became problematic when the Breach grew. Good thing that wasn’t a continual thing.  
I hoped that I would eventually build up my stamina if I were to be a prisoner here and have to run everywhere for an extended period of time. Right now, I could barely keep up with the rest of my team. Even Varric was out running me.   
“Look!” Cassandra yelled. “Another rift!!”  
“We have to close it! Quickly!” Solas yelled, the panic in his voice was clear.  
We charged forward, coming to the rescue of the soldiers that were screaming for help. I took down a wraith easily. “What was wrong with these people?” I thought. “These demons are so easy to kill. A child could do-“ Before I could finish my thought, I was face down on the ground. I rolled over just in time to see a demons long, spindly fingers quickly moving to my face. Out of instinct, I stuck both my daggers straight through the spirits body and pulled up. The spirit screamed something awful before collapsing back in the ground. After standing up, I thrusted the mark at the rift, the same green beam as before shooting into the rift. After a few seconds, the rift closed and everybody relaxed.  
“You are becoming quite proficient at this!” Solas praised.  
I weakly smiled.  
The guards opened the gate now that the rift was clear and we ran in.  
“Ahhh…. Here they come,” A wrinkled man in Chantry robes drawled out.  
The second woman from the jail, Leliana, spoke up. “Chancellor Roderick, I would like you to meet-“  
“I know who she is,” he growled and turned to Cassandra. “As Grand Chancellor of the Chantry, I order you to take this criminal to Val Royeaux to face execution!”  
I froze. Sure, Cassandra was glad I could close rifts and what not, but as far as she knew, I just killed Divine Justinia as well as all the leaders for both the mages and the Templars. “Maker, don’t let her send me off. Please,” I quickly prayed to myself.  
“Order me!?” Cassandra almost laughed at the notion. “You are a glorified clerk! A-a bureaucrat!” She spat at him.  
“And you are a thug!” Roderick countered. “Though, one who supposedly serves the Chantry!”  
“We serve the Most Holy, as you well know!” Leliana piped in.  
I’d heard enough. “Don’t talk about me like I’m not here!” I glared at the Chancellor who seemed shocked at my ability to speak.  
“You shouldn't even be here!!” The Chancellor seethed.  
Cassandra stood in the middle of us, effectively breaking the tension between the Chancellor and me. “We need to get to the Temple of Sacred Ashes. Now.”  
Roderick sighed. “Call a retreat, Seeker. You won’t survive long enough to get to the Temple, even with all your men.”  
“A charge is the quickest route. We must take it.”  
“Not the safest though,” Leliana responded to Cassandra. “Our forces could charge as a distraction while we go through the mountains.”  
“We lost an entire squad on that route. It is too risky!” Cassandra claimed. She turned to me. “What do you think?”  
I could hardly believe my ears. “Oh, now you want my opinion? I get a fancy mark on my hand and all of a sudden I get a voice?”  
Cassandra narrowed her eyes. “Do not make me change my mind.”  
I sighed. “I think we should charge with our soldiers. At this rate, the mark will kill me before I even make it to your trial. Whatever happens, happens now.”  
Cassandra only nodded at me before turning to Leliana. “Summon everyone left in the valley. Everybody.”  
Chancellor Roderick glared at us. “On your head be the consequences, Seeker.”  
We charged through the gates. One of the guards muttered “Hopefully she dies” as we ran by. I figured they weren't talking about Cassandra. It was silly, but a small part of me hoped I could close the Breach and stop the Mark from spreading. It might make the townspeople hate me less which I would need. I assumed I would be here for a while.  
We came to another set of gates and saw a soldier running ahead of us. Something exploded and the soldier was sent flying backwards to us. I knelt down and searched unsuccessfully for a pulse. “Dead.”  
“Maker take you,” Cassandra blessed the man.  
“Another rift!” Solas shouted.  
We all charged and helped the soldiers that were already there deal with the demons. It was over quickly, and I closed the rift with ease earning a small head nod from Solas.  
“Lady Cassandra, you managed to close the rift? Well done!” The most beautiful man I had ever seen spoke. I stared in awe as he wiped a bit of blood off his forehead before combing his gloved fingers through his golden hair. He dawned a huge fur coat that I would’ve mocked relentlessly at one point, but could only stare in admiration.   
She sighed and motioned to me. “Do not congratulate me, Commander. This is the prisoners doing.”  
He walked towards me and my chest felt tight. “Is it? I hope they’re right about you. We’ve lost a lot of people getting you here.” He slightly reprimanded me, making me feel smaller than Varric.  
“Yeah? Well, you’ll lose a lot more if you can't get me to the Breach.” I was through being chastised by people who didn’t even know my name.  
The Commander looked slightly taken aback at my attitude. He quickly regained his composure though and said a single word. “Indeed.”   
“Thats Cullen,” Varric muttered to me. “He’s the eye candy. He also is in charge of the army in his spare time.”   
I nodded in response.  
Cullen turned to Cassandra. “The way to the temple should be clear. Leliana will try to meet you there.”  
“We’d best move quickly. Give us time Commander,” Cassandra replied and shook his hand.  
“Maker watch over you… For all our sakes.” Cullen nodded at me and walked away.  
“This way! Let’s go!” Cassandra shouted, and with that we set off to close the gaping hole in the sky.


	4. FOUR

The place with completely destroyed. Charred corpses littered the floor. There were lingering fires from the Conclave explosion. My heart ached. What made me different? Why was I able to survive? What made me more worthy than Divine Justinia.   
“The Temple of Sacred Ashes,” Solas sighed.  
Varric said what everyone else was thinking. “Or whats left of it at least.”  
Cassandra motioned to a spot covered in black bricks. “That is where you walked out of the fade and our soldiers found you. They say a woman was in the rift behind you. No one knows who she was.”  
I closed my eyes and tried to remember something about the woman. Nose shape, eye color, skin color, anything. “I can’t remember. I’m sorry.”  
Cassandra only sighed.  
We slowly walked down a few flights of stairs, fully taking in the destruction of the explosion. It had to be some horrible kind of blood magic or some extreme bomb the Templars created.   
I stared ahead at the biggest and first rift. Chunks of crystal were emerging from it and the same green gas I had seen in the Fade was enveloping it.  
“The Breach is a long way up” Varric looked straight up in awe.  
“Oh good! You’re here! Thank the Maker!” I turned to see Leliana arrive with forces from Haven. She was armed with a long bow and a quiver chock full of arrows.  
I could only muster up a weak smile as a response.  
Luckily, Cassandra was able to do the talking for me. “Leliana, have your soldiers take position around the temple.”  
Leliana nodded and her troops dispersed.  
Finally, words came to my mouth. “You do have a plan to get me up to the Breach, right?”  
Solas shook his head. “No. This rift was the first. There are no demons coming out meaning its closed, albeit temporarily. I believe that if you reopen the rift we can properly close it and close the Breach. However, opening the rift will likely attract attention from the other side.”  
“Let’s get down then.”  
Cassandra, Varric, Solas and I began our trek from the safe terrace to the soon-to-be battlefield. There were chunks of red crystal sticking up from the ground. “What…what is this?” I asked, extending my hand to grab a sample of it.  
“NO!” Varric launched himself at me, sending us toppling to the ground. “Are you crazy!? That’s red lyrium! It’ll turn your mind into mush. Whatever you do, DON’T TOUCH IT!”  
I nodded furiously and Varric let me regain my footing.   
We had barely made it a few steps before a deep, rumbling voice echoed over our heads.   
“Now is the hour of our victory.” The voice seemed relaxed and at ease.   
“What is that?” Cassandra asked to no avail.  
We approached the rift and I prepared to reopen it. Before I could though, a different voice echoed through the temple.   
“Someone! Help Me!” A frightened woman pleaded.  
“What’s going on here?”  
My heart froze. That was my voice. The woman called out to me.   
Cassandra turned to me, her expression wild. “The first voice was Most Holy… She called out to you but-“  
She was interrupted by the rift shooting off and figures forming out of the smoke. The Divine was magically bound by something, its smoky figure too obscure to make anything of it. Then, I came running in. I asked again, “Whats going on here?”   
“Run while you can! Warn them!” The Divine shouted.   
The ominous figure spoke next. “We have an intruder. Kill her.”  
The figures vanished.  
“You were there! Who attacked? And the Divine is she…? Was this vision true? What are we seeing!?” Cassandra shot her questions out rapidly.  
“I can’t remember! I already told you!” I snapped.  
“Ophelia, open the rift.” Solas urged.  
“That means demons! Stand ready!” Cassandra yelled at the soldiers surrounding us.  
I aimed the Mark at the rift and almost instantly, a huge demon emerged. The purple creature towered over us on its two legs. Before it could attack any of us, Cassandra ordered the attack.  
“NOW!” She bellowed out.  
I unsheathed my daggers and charged towards the demon. Varric and Solas remained at the back with Leliana and the other archers while me and Cassandra attacked the demon head on.  
The beast was relentless and the task of avoiding its massive feet and its swinging arms became almost as difficult as actually fighting the thing. It seemed as if our blades were no more dangerous than feathers. I poured all of my strength and energy into each blow and the demon hardly reacted. Eventually, we must have made some headway because it started to howl and scream with our attacks. It brought its hands together and sent a ball of purple magic hurdling straight towards Solas. It nailed him and he crumpled to the ground.  
“Solas needs help!” I screamed, hoping that someone would go make sure he was at least alive. When no one did, I took a deep breath and sprinted towards him.   
I dropped to my knees and placed my fingers on his throat. A pulse. Good.  
“Solas, Solas, you need to wake up. Solas!’ I urged.  
He groaned. “Help me up.”  
Once he was standing, we nodded and I took off towards the beast again.  
With the demon showing signs of weakness, the soldiers got their second winds. The attacks were much more ferocious with almost no sign of slowing down. The demon thrashed about and threw his arms everywhere while attempting to step on as many of us as possible.   
The demon let out a mighty roar before collapsing to the ground. It was defeated.  
I threw my hand at the rift. It didn't feel like it did when I closed the other rifts. This one felt more wild and out of control. I thrusted my hand at it again and closed my eyes, refusing to think about anything else other than the rift being closed. The rift exploded and sent a shock wave up towards the Breach. It wasn’t closed, but it had stopped growing.   
I slumped onto Cassandra. “I’m sorry,” I whispered before collapsing.  
I woke up with a start sometime later to the sound of door being closed. I looked around my unfamiliar surroundings, hoping to regain some sense of direction.   
A small elf walked in and dropped the box she was carrying when she saw that I was awake. “Oh! I didn't know you were awake! I swear!”  
I was too paranoid to be nice. “Is this some kind of prison?” I snapped.  
“I… No? At least, I don’t think so?” The elf stammered out.  
“Then where am I? Tell me!” I demanded.  
The elf dropped to her knees. “I beg your forgiveness, and your blessing. I am but a humble servant. You are back in Haven, My Lady.”  
I stood up, utterly confused.   
“They say you saved us,” The elf continued. The Breach stopped growing, just like the Mark on your hand. It’s all anyone has talked about for the last 3 days!”  
“Wait…” I furrowed my eyebrow. “They’re happy with me now? What, they don't believe I’m out to kill them all?”  
“I’m just sayin’ what I’ve heard! I didn’t mean anythin’ by it!” The elf rose to her feet and started backing out the door. “I’m certain Lady Cassandra would want to know you've awake. She told me to alert her in the Chantry at once!” And with that, the elf was out the door.  
Why was that elf treating me like I was something holy? I was used to having servants, I had 4 personally in Ostwick, but I had never been asked for my blessing. I smoothed down my hair and left to go talk to Cassandra.


	5. FIVE

I walked out of the cottage I was in and immediately wanted to run back in. Almost the entire army stood in lines outside my door, some on their knees, some standing up, but all had their right fist crossed over their chest and onto their left shoulder as a sign of respect. My feet moved forward on their own accord. I was much too confused to move myself. As I walked through, some of the soldiers bowed their heads.   
“That’s her!” A small male soldier gasped to someone next to him. “That’s the Herald of Andraste!”  
Maker’s breath! Herald of Andraste? Me? I shook my head. I’m no Herald. I’m just some silly daughter of a noble Free Marcher. My entire life has been planned out since before I was born. I was to study the Andrastian texts while also learning how to run a household until age 18. Then I was to be married off to the son of one of my father’s friends. From there I would live a peaceful and comfortable life until the Maker came for me. Never was I supposed to be the alleged Herald of Andraste!  
“She stopped the Breach from getting any bigger!” Another soldier happily exclaimed.   
Yeah, it wasn't growing anymore, but the Breach was still open. The Veil was still torn. Spirits and demons could still enter this world. It didn't matter that it wasn’t getting any bigger. The threat is still there.  
Before I knew it, I was standing at the doors to the Chantry. Unlike the others, the Chantry clerics glared at me like I was disease ridden. I suppose the Chancellor was not happy about my survival.  
Ignoring their pointed stares, I entered the Chantry and walked down the long hall leading to a small room at the back. As I got closer, I heard voices yelling. I believed them to be the Chancellor’s, and he did not seem pleased.  
I threw open the door and waltzed in much to the surprise of Cassandra, Leliana, and of course, Chancellor Roderick.  
“Chain her!” The cleric declared. “I want her prepared for travel to the capital for trial!”  
I tensed up, ready to fight off the two guards standing on either side of me, but Cassandra stepped in.  
“Disregard that,” she said, barely looking up from the large map on the table. “Now leave us.” The guards crossed their right arm before exiting the room.  
The Chancellor turned his glare from me to Cassandra. “You walk a dangerous line, Seeker.” He seethed.  
Cassandra pushed herself up and stepped towards Roderick. “The Breach may be stable, but it is still a threat. I will not ignore it.”  
I rolled my eyes. “Oh and let me guess. You’ve decided I’m still useful and you want my help. Again. Cookie for me.”  
Chancellor Roderick scoffed. “You have done plenty! Your actions will be taken into consideration by the new Divine and-“  
“The Breach is not our only concern, Chancellor!” Leliana sounded exasperated at his consistent accusations. “Someone was behind the explosion at the Conclave. Someone Most Holy did not expect.”   
Roderick sputtered something unintelligible before speaking again. “I am a suspect!?” He raged.  
“You!” Leliana fired back. “Along with many others. We heard Divine Justinia call to the prisoner in the temple. She was not the cause.”  
“The Maker sent her to us in our darkest hour.” Cassandra weakly smiled at me.   
I scoffed, unable to contain my disgust. “Five minutes ago you wanted me dead, but now I’m your savior? How desperate are you people!?”  
Cassandra glared at me slightly before continuing. “I will not pretend like you were not exactly what we needed when we needed it.”   
“The Breach remains, and your Mark is the only hope at stopping it.” Leliana added.  
The Chancellor slammed his hands on the table. “This is NOT for you to decide!”  
Cassandra responded by slamming a very large and very old book on the table. The leather was old and the binding was falling apart, but still distinctive in the center of the book was a large sun with an eye in the middle.  
“You know what this is, Chancellor?” Cassandra dared the man to respond. “This is a writ from the Divine granting us authority to act. As of this moment, I declare the Inquisition reborn!” She began walking towards the Chancellor, backing him into a corner and punctuating her words with a pointed finger. “We will close the Breach, we will find those responsible, and we will restore order. With or without your approval.”   
The frustrated Chancellor let out one final grunt of defeat before storming out of the room. Good riddance.  
Leliana traced her fingers over the cover of the book and sighed. “We aren’t ready. We have no leader, no numbers, and now, no Chantry support.”  
Cassandra continued her thought. “But we have no choice. We must act now. With you at our side.” Cassandra turned to me.  
How did I go from being accused of murdering the Divine, to being the voice of Andraste, to being asked to join the Inquisition. As far as I knew, the Inquisition was the best and only way to regain control over whatever happened at the Conclave. I didn't really have a choice.  
“We’ll see how this goes.”   
Leliana smiled. “That is all we ask.”  
“Help us fix this, before it is too late.” Cassandra extended her hand.  
I hesitated for just a moment before thrusting my hand into hers and shaking it. I was officially part of the Inquisition.  
Leliana turned to a small elven girl standing in the corner. “Go alert the Ambassador and Commander that their presence is needed in the War Room at once.” She then turned to me. “If you could please just…wait outside for a few moments. The War Council needs to meet privately.”  
I chuckled. “Even after all of this, you still don’t trust me?” Leliana opened her mouth to speak but I raised by hand to stop her. “Don’t worry, I get it. New girl, can’t be trusted, especially after she was falsely accused of murder.”  
I turned on my heel and strode out, slamming the door shut behind me. I sat on the ground, my back leaned against one of the shared walls of the War Room and the Chantry. I wasn’t there long before a dark skinned and dark haired woman walked out of what I presumed to be her office. She smiled as soon as she saw me.  
“Hello! I’m Josephine! I’m serving as the Inquisitions ambassador.”  
I stood up and half smiled. “Ophelia Trevelyan. Alleged murderer.”  
Despite how visibly uncomfortable she was, she managed to force out a laugh. “And most recently, the Herald of Andraste!”  
“Right.. How could I forget.” I kicked myself mentally after seeing Josephine’s awkward look. I shouldn’t be taking my bad day out on her. “I’m sorry, it’s just… If you had told me this would happen to me I would’ve called you crazy.”  
“I understand.” Josephine smiled sweetly. “It would be a shock to any of us. Hopefully, you will adjust soon. Now, if you don’t mind, I should probably join the others.”  
I nodded. “Yes of course. It was nice meeting you.”  
I returned to the bench I was previously sitting on and began to study to Chantry. It was an old building and had the same structural design as the Chantry back in Ostwick. My heart ached for simpler times. When I was expected to spend most of my day in the Chantry and I watched as my older brothers trained with the Templars. I never thought I would actually miss the life of ballgowns and manners. I didn’t miss it exactly, but I did wish for some familiarity. I supposed that the Haven Chantry would have to suffice.  
My thoughts were interrupted when the doors slammed open and Commander Cullen marched in. He moved with a purpose, his eyes locked on the War Room door ahead. He was still wearing that damn coat.  
“Commander.” I heard myself say.  
He didn’t stop moving forward. He simply glanced at me and nodded before entering the room to meet with the other members of the War Council.  
“Commander Asshole,” I muttered to myself once the War Room door was shut.   
After what seemed like hours of waiting, the council members finally emerged from their meeting. Leliana turned to me.  
“Go with the Commander, Lady Trevelyan. You’ll remain with him while we prepare Haven to be the headquarters of the Inquisition.”  
Great.  
I struggled to keep up with his quick pace, although with our incredible height difference, it should’ve been no surprise. The Commander was constantly interrupted by messengers bringing report after report for him to sign off on. It was quite annoying. I hoped that a conversation would either start up or the time would pass quickly.  
“I did not get to properly introduce myself on the battlefield. I apologize. I’m Cullen, commander of the Inquisitions forces.” He spoke suddenly, as if he could read my mind.  
“Ophelia Trevelyan. Supposed Herald of Andraste.”  
He chuckled. “I didn’t have you pegged as a noble girl.”  
I smiled. “And why is that?”  
“You have a very confident demeanor. The way you spoke to me on the battlefront.. I was certainly not expecting that to come out of a prisoners mouth, much less out of a nobleman’s daughter!”  
I flashed a coy smirk up at him. “I’m full of surprises!”   
“Yes, I have no doubt you are.” He laughed as he began walking again.  
We reached the tents that the soldiers were staying in and Cullen motioned for me to wait outside. He emerged shortly with an official looking piece of paper with a golden mount. The paper had the same sun symbol as the book had.   
Cullen saw the confused look on my face. “We’re posting this on the Chantry doors. It says that it was Divine Justinia’s will for us to form the Inquisition.”  
A crowd began to form as we walked up the steps to the Chantry. Cullen nailed the declaration into the door and we waited for the Leliana, Josephine and Cassandra to join us.   
“People of Haven,” Cassandra started. “We have instruction from Most Holy that in the event of a failed Conclave, the Inquisition of old should be reborn. We intend on following her requests. Haven will be our headquarters. Your War Council will consist of myself, Ambassador Josephine Montilyet, Spymaster Leliana, Commander Cullen Rutherford, and Lady Ophelia Trevelyan: The Herald of Andraste!”  
And with that, the Inquisition was born.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> PLEASEEEEEE if you like it leave kudos or comments and share this with your friends! <3


	6. SIX

I awoke the next morning to my door slamming shut. The same jittery elf as before entered and dropped to the floor as soon as she saw that I was awake.  
“Forgive me, my lady! I didn't mean to disrupt your rest! I-“  
“Relax, seriously. I’m not going to hurt you or whatever.” I helped the elf get back onto her feet. “What did you need?”  
“Lady Cassandra wants you to come to the Chantry and meet with the War Council today. Whenever it is convenient for you. It’s all in this note!” She thrusted a scroll at me. “I’ll leave now!” She scurried off before I had a chance to say anything else.  
I examined the paper before opening it. The wax holding it bared the same sun-eye-dagger emblem as new flag over the chantry, the will the Commander had, and the book Cassandra had. Carefully, I peeled off the wax and read the contents of the letter.

“Herald, Please come to the War Room at your earliest convenience. We must talk about our plan of action with the full council. Go meet the citizens of Haven first, they will want to know who all of their leaders are.  
-C”

I fully intended to befriend some members of the Inquisition, but I was called a heretic, blasphemer, and a fraud as soon as I left my cabin. I ducked my head and decided to take a stroll around the town to gather my bearings.  
“So now that Cassandra’s out of earshot, are you holding up alright?” Varric approached me and motioned to come sit by him near a fire. “I mean really, you go from being the most wanted criminal in Thedas to joining the armies of the faithful-“ He shook his head and chuckled. “Most people would have spread that out over more than one day.”  
I scoffed. “I’m not a herald. I’m not a leader. I’m supposed to be married off soon. I shouldn't even be here. None of this shit should’ve happened.”  
“You don’t know the half of it,” Varric sympathized. “For days now, we’ve been staring at the Breach, watching demons and Maker-knows-what fall out of it. ‘Bad for morale’ doesn't even begin to cover it.”  
“The Breach needs to be sealed. The sooner the better.”  
Varric only nodded.  
“The people aren't too fond of me. I’m ruining the religion or so I’ve heard.” I tried to joke.  
“You’re the first new person we’ve had here in who knows how long. And you showed up when the Breach opened and when Justinia died. It’s easy to make you a target. Don’t worry about it too much, they’ll realize you’re on our side soon enough.” Varric consoled me.  
I smiled weakly. “I should go find Cassandra, busy day of saving the world or whatever.”  
Varric chuckled and sarcastically bowed. “Duty calls, Lady Herald.”  
Cassandra met me at the entrance of the Chantry. She simply motioned for me to follow and we wordlessly made our way down the aisle towards the War Room.  
I started examining my hand. It didn’t seem any different, just a scar across the middle of my left palm. How could a simple gash close holes in the sky?  
“Does it trouble you?”  
“I wish I could get rid of it!” I snapped. Cassandra immediately recoiled slightly and I sighed, taking a softer tone as I continued. “It doesn't hurt anymore. It just feels like….like it does when your foot falls asleep. I wish it was gone so I could go back to my normal life.”  
Cassandra shook her head. “Nobody is having a normal life, not since the explosion.” She stopped and turned to me. “Your Mark will be useful. It is stable now, as is the Breach. Solas believes that a second attempt to close it will be successful, if the Mark as more power-the same level of power used to open the Breach initially. That will not be easy to come by.”  
“Yes, what could possibly go wrong when we power up something we barely understand!” I mocked.  
Cassandra weakly laughed before opening the door to the War Room.  
In the room stood the Commander, Leliana, and Josephine. My eyes immediately met the Commander’s and my insides melted. His amber eyes poured into my brown ones and we were the only ones in the world-that is until Cassandra started speaking again.  
“You’ve met Commander Cullen, leader of the Inquisitions forces.” Cassandra introduced us formally.  
“We’ve become acquainted with each other,” the Commander replied. “I’m glad you’ve survived thus far.”  
I hardly listened to the rest of the introductions considering I had already met them. The Commander and I tried to stare at each other without the other one noticing. I would look at him, he would look at me, I would look away. I’d look back at him, catch him staring, he would look away. The cycle continued for what felt like hours. He still wore the horribly tacky yet unbelievably sexy fur coat. Armor covered his entire body except for his face and I couldn’t help but wonder what he looked like underneath. Or what we would look like together, our bodies crashing against each other, our lips connected, his calloused hands entangling themselves in my long auburn hair and pulling me closer to him.  
“Herald? Are you with us?” Leliana spoke and pulled me out of my daydream.  
“Oh, yes, yeah I’m here. Sorry, I was just thinking.” I stammered out, fully noticing a small smirk on the Commanders lips as I turned to face the Spymaster. “You were saying?”  
“Cassandra said she has mentioned that we need more power for your Mark before we close the Breach. That requires us to approach the rebel mages for help.” Leliana spoke.  
“And I still disagree!” The Commander spoke with a sudden gruffness in his voice. “The Templars could serve just as well.”  
Cassandra, Leliana and Cullen began to argue over which was better, Templars or Mages, brute force or magic, order or chaos.  
“I was a Templar, I know what they're capable of!” Cullen seethed to Leliana, who remained silent.  
“Unfortunately, neither group will speak to us. The Chantry has denounced the Inquisition, specifically you. Because some are calling you the Herald of Andraste, the Chantry is frightened.” Josephine broke the tension  
“Oh, because you started calling me the Herald, which I most definitely am not, the Chantry won’t talk to us. Interesting.” I retorted.  
“We understand it is quite the title,” the Commander spoke up. “How do you feel about that?”  
I scoffed. “I’m no Herald of anything.”  
Cullen laughed. “No doubt the Chantry would agree!”  
“We do have one lead so far,” Leliana broke in. “A Chantry cleric known as Mother Giselle has asked to meet with you.”  
“Couldn’t that be an ambush? I mean asking to meet with the Chantry’s most wanted person?” I folded my arms and shifted my weight to one hip.  
“I doubt it, Mother Giselle is a kind soul who doesn't like to involve herself in violence. She knows the area better than I and would be invaluable to the Inquisition. You can find her near Redcliffe in the Hinterlands.”  
“While you're there, look for other ways to increase the Inquisitions influence.” Cullen added.  
I sighed. “When do I leave?”


	7. SEVEN

I woke up with a start in the middle of the night. There was less than 12 hours to go before I began my first quest with the Inquisition. Deciding that I wasn't going to fall asleep again any time soon, I pulled my black hooded shawl over my body and decided to take a walk around Haven. The brisk air hit my skin immediately, sending shivers down my spine and all over my body. The quaint town was actually incredibly gorgeous, in a way that you wouldn’t expect it to be. Everything was big in my life up to this point; big house, big room, big Chantry, so a small village was a pleasant surprise to me.   
I heard grunts and thuds coming from just outside the guarded gates of Haven. Curiosity overwhelmed me as I tried to find the source of the sound. After persuading the guards that I was in fact not running away from my “obvious guilt” in Divine Justinia’s passing, they opened the gates and I was able to see Commander Cullen slashing a poor practice dummy apart.  
I quietly approached him. “Can’t sleep either?”  
Cullen spun around instantly and pointed his sword at me. “Maker’s breath, you scared me!” He sheathed his sword. “Why are you up? You should get some rest, you leave for Redcliffe tomorrow.”  
I ran my hands through my hair and chuckled softly. “Yeah so I’ve heard. I probably can't sleep because of all the pressure that’s being put on me.”  
“Oh um, I… I’m sorry Herald. I didn’t mean to-“  
I mentally kicked myself for speaking so aggressively. “Oh no, no it’s okay. I mean it’s for a good cause and everything. Saving the world and whatnot.” I managed to drag out my speech much longer than originally intended. “Anyway,” I started again, “What’s with the late night training session?”  
“While I’m thankful for the number of recruits we’ve received, the majority of them can barely hold a sword and shield at the same time, much less carry on a competitive fight.”  
“They’ll get better surely.”  
“Yes well, let’s hope.”  
“So, tell my about how you got here, to the Inquisition I mean,” I spat out, scared to let an awkward silence form.  
Cullen motioned for me to go sit on the stairs leading up to the town’s gates with him. “I was recruited in Kirkwall. I was there during the mage uprising, I saw firsthand the devastation it caused. Cassandra sought a solution. Once she offered me a position, I left the Templars to join her cause. Now it seems we face something far worse the we originally anticipated. With the rogue mages and Templars fighting, it’s our duty to help close the biggest threat of all, the Breach. There is so much we-“ He cut himself off and smiled weakly at me. “Forgive me, I doubt you came for a lecture.”  
I grinned, “No, but if you have one prepared I’d love to hear it!”  
“Perhaps another time.” It was a simple statement, but there was no denying the smirk that showed across his lips.  
“Tell me about the Templars, my older brothers are in training to join the order but I don’t know much about it.”  
“As Templars, we are not to seek wealth or acknowledgment. Our lives belong to the Maker and the path we have chosen.”  
“Are the Templars required to give up everything? Including….physical…temptations?” The bravery I had when I began my sentence tapered out as I progressed along, leaving me looking like a fool.  
“Physical?” A look of shock and horror was plastered across his face. “Um, why would you… um.. No, thats not expected. Templars can marry, although there are rules around it, the order must grant permission, but… Some may choose to give up more to prove their devotion, but its um.. it’s not required.” Cullen chose each word very carefully.  
I had another surge of bravery. “Have you?”  
“Me? I…. No, I’ve taken no such vows. Maker’s Breath, can we speak of something else?” He rubbed his face before continuing. “You never answered my question. Why are you wandering around so late?”  
I laughed softly. “Nightmare. About what happened right before Cassandra and Leliana found me.” I shook my head and chuckled. “Plus, I wanted to walk around Haven without being called a blasphemer.”  
“My apologies Herald-“  
“I am not a Herald of anything!” I stood up quickly and moved a few steps forward before spinning around and facing him again. “I am Ophelia Trevelyan. I’m 19 years old. I’m a Free Marches girl. I have two older brothers. Yes, I believe in the Maker and Andraste but I am not, nor will I ever be the Herald of Andraste! So please, just call me Ophelia or Lady Trevelyan or anything but the blasted Herald of Andraste!” I let out an exasperated sigh as I returned to my seat next to the worried Cullen.  
“I-I didn’t know, I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”  
Good one Ophelia, way to make the man feel awful when he’s just trying to talk to you. “No, I shouldn’t have snapped at you. You can’t read my mind.”  
We sat in silence for a moment before he finally stood up.   
“You should probably return to your cabin. You need to be fully rested for your journey tomorrow. Goodnight, Lady Trevelyan who is not the Herald of Andraste.”  
“Goodnight, Commander.”  
He leaned in for a hug for a split second before ultimately deciding on a hand shake. He flashed me a small smile before closing the door to his private tent, and I began to walk back to my cabin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Short chapter! Some of the dialogue is taken from the game again but I did add a lot of my own! There'll be more Cullen/Ophelia scenes soon!


End file.
